My Jamaican Table: Vibrant Recipes from a Sun-Drenched Island

“I discovered food as a bridge to hope,” writes chef Fowles, three-time Chopped champion, in his bold and flavorful debut. In more than 100 recipes, the Kingston native pays homage to his island roots, drawing particular inspiration from his grandmother’s kitchen. The vibrant flavors of Jamaican fare—including allspice, herbaceous green seasoning (“the backbone of many traditional dishes”), and Scotch bonnet peppers for “authentic Jamaican heat”—are highlighted in both traditional recipes and Fowles’s creative reinterpretations. Classic goat and chicken curries appear alongside the unexpected coconut curry lobster, while oxtail features in both a stew with butter beans and in an innovative ragu atop ricotta gnocchi. Pepper shrimp and pastry-encased beef patties are street fare–inspired bites, while jerk salmon with herb salsa is Fowles’s elegant twist on traditional jerk chicken. “The OG Jamaican Breakfast” offers the “holy trinity” of saltfish cod, fried dumplings (johnny cakes), and sautéed callaloo. Rice, beans, plantains, cassava, and coconut abound, while Jamaican rum graces both desserts and cocktails. Seasoned and novice chefs alike will be enticed by Fowles’s tempting recipes and colorful anecdotes. It’s a joyful introduction to the tastes of Jamaica. (Mar.)